Newsletter Excerpt: Inn Focus April 2016

Newsletter Excerpt: Inn Focus April 2016

Below is an excerpt from the April 2016 edition of Viewpoints from the Homestead.To sign-up for the newsletter, scroll to the bottom of the page and submit your email.

Inn Focus

Some of our bed and breakfast guests may only know business owner, Kristen Hertzog as the friendly, outgoing innkeeper and concierge for Hertzog Homestead. But did you know that Kristen has spent many years investing in educational projects in the country of Haiti?

Together Kristen and Scott share a continued passion to see quality education for Haitian children. In Haiti, there is no nationwide free public education system. Only those who can afford tuition attend school. Hertzog Homestead is hosting the 4th Annual Hope for Haiti Benefit Auction on Saturday, May 21. The proceeds for this event will help with education projects for two organizations: Haiti Partners and Christian Aid Ministries.

Kristen says, “I had the opportunity to visit Haiti Partners primary school and see the work firsthand in March of this year. One of the most impressive things about Haiti Partners work is how they invest with dignity into the local community. Because the school is located in a mountainous, rural area there are few jobs for the parents of the students. Haiti Partners has created a method of positive involvement for parents by requiring them to volunteer at their children’s school in whatever capacity there is a need and skill set. This allows parents to give back to the investment of education for their children in a tangible way. It also gives them a sense of contribution into their children instead of merely a handout.

I saw some of the moms helping as teachers assistants in the elementary school, and learning to read along with their children! I saw father’s mixing mortar for stairs that would be poured on the side of the school. The vibe of student, teacher, and parent volunteers was one of community collaboration and being a part of something that invests in the lives of their children for their future.

I am honored to be working with Haiti Partners and Christian Aid Ministries to help their education programs continue to grow. Please consider coming out for the day on Saturday, May 21 beginning at 9AM. The food will be amazing. The auction items will be diverse. The atmosphere will be festive and filled with Amish, Mennonites, and others joining together to help education in Haiti. And the best part is we can all be a part of something to help the next generation open their minds to the world around them.”